A Voice From Heaven
by IamDragonFury
Summary: This is just a little piece I wrote in English class Sophomore year, a 13th chapter to Lord of the Flies, picking up after the boys are rescued and are on the ship. The guilt-ridden boys are visited by the spirit of a departed peer, who is now an angel, who brings comforting news.


Lord of the Flies, Chapter 13

This was an assignment I did in English Class back in 10th Grade. We had to write an extra chapter for Lord of the Flies, depicting what we thought could/would have happened after Chapter 12.

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A Voice from Heaven

The boys took a moment and looked back at the island from the shore, watching what was left of it turn to ash; for some reason Ralph felt kind of relieved to see it burn. It was like having a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders; the boys felt that the island burning had killed or at least tamed the beast they were tortured by for so long. They watched as the palm trees, overcome by the surrounding smoke, succumbed to the dying flames and disintegrated into smoldering red-orange embers.

The Naval officer ushered the boys back to the ship; as they walked, Ralph was the only one who continued to look over his shoulder back at the island. On the ship, the boys were tended to in the sick bay; they washed up and then got their haircut, much to Ralph's delight.

After getting fixed up, the boys were placed down in the ships' cabins. Ralph lay on his bunk bed staring at the base of the bed above him. He was very relieved that they were finally getting off the island; however, he started to think about the world they were going back to, for the adults' war raged on. He imagined piles of rubble that were once buildings, fire burning in the streets and on houses, people screaming, sirens going off, and bombs exploding. He sat up and forced himself to block it out and looked at the fellows around him. Percival sat on the floor, trying to remember his phone number and address by repeating what he vaguely recalled. SamnEric huddled together on the top bunk across from Ralph. Roger was curled up on the bunk above him. Jack lay supine on the bunk beneath Sam and Eric; he stared up into space with a zombie-like expression on his face. Ralph got up and slowly walked over to him, and whispered "Jack?" He touched Jack's hand which made the cadaverous redhead flinch. Ralph could see that Jack was not breathing, "Jack? Breathe," Ralph urged.

The redheaded adolescent gasped deeply and whimpered, "There's blood on my hands, no matter how much I wash, it will never come off."

"Don't worry, it's over now." Ralph said softly

Jack, still breathing heavily, gravely replied, "No, it's not; don't you get it? I caused two deaths and almost a third." His eyes twitched as tears welled up in them, and then he broke down sobbing.

Ralph looked shocked, as this was not the same Jack that he had known on the island. "If it is any consolation," Ralph said, his eyes became bloodshot as he tried not to cry, "I helped kill Simon, so I will carry some blame for that."

"You're worried about that?" Roger inquired angrily and jumped down from his bunk, "I launched the rock that killed Piggy."

Jack sat up in his bed, "But" he sniffed, "I made you do that".

"There's more," Roger revealed with an insane and ashamed look in his eyes. "I wanted to be chief, I saw you as a threat, Jack. So the entire time we were chasing Ralph, I was chasing _you!_"

"Me?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," Roger said tearing up as his insanity turned to remorse, "I was going to kill _you_ and put _your_ head on a stick."

"I guess," Ralph stated "We've all wronged each other in some way."

"Not just each other Ralph," Jack lamented, "We've betrayed God; there is no place in paradise for us."

Sam and Eric broke down in tears and they both cried, "No place?"

"Not true." A familiar and now altered voice said.

It was then a glowing, white light illuminated the cabin and a familiar figure manifested before them.

"S-Simon?" Ralph uttered in awe

It _was_ Simon, now with white feathered wings and a glowing ring around his head, dressed all in white and silver, and bathed in a glowing light.

"Simon!" Jack cried "I'm _so _sorry it was all my fault!"

"It's alright," angelic Simon said calmly, "I forgive you, God forgives as well."

"But we killed you," Roger inquired, "and Piggy too, how can he forgive us for that?"

"If God can forgive the soldiers at war," Simon explained, "of course he can forgive a group of young boys fighting for their lives while being tempted by the evil they never knew they had."

"What's it like," Ralph asked, "to die?"

"Well the experience was quite painful at first," he stated, "but the pain was soothed by the light as I went towards it."

"What is our fate?" Jack asked, "what'll happen to us?"

"God forbids me to reveal your deaths," Simon explained surely, "but I can tell you that you'll all live your lives to the full extent with jobs, homes, and families."

"And," Jack wondered, "the afterlife?"

"Jack you don't have to worry about that for a long time," Simon soothed "focus on the life at hand."

"I do want to go heaven," Jack said, "honest I do."

"That's entirely up to you," Simon said, "if you can repent your sins and live an honest life then you will live your afterlife in paradise." The angel boy turned to Ralph "I put a good word in for you Ralph," Simon told him, "I'm hoping to see you up there when the time comes."

"I hope so to." Ralph said.

"Simon!" Sam called looking over the bunk.

"What's Heaven like?" Eric asked also looking over the bunk.

"It's wonderful," Simon told them, "there's no pain, no illness, no evil or bad temptation of any kind; it has everything that you could've wanted but never could get or have in the first life."

Ralph then had a realization, perhaps God allows life to be unfair because the afterlife waiting for you, depending on how you lived your life, will be fair.

"I have to go now," Simon said, "God calls."

"So this is goodbye?" Ralph asked.

"For now," Simon assured, "but just remember whenever you need me I'll be there, whenever you're lost and need guidance or consoling I'll be there."

"Thank you." Ralph said

"Oh yeah," Simon said getting ready to ascend, "I was supposed to tell you something."

"What?" Ralph wondered.

"Piggy says "hi"." Simon informed and then disappeared with the light.

After Simon had vanished the others stood there in silence for the longest time.

"I have a feeling," Percival said smiling, "that everything's going to be okay."

Epilogue

A month after being rescued from the island, Ralph was reunited with his relieved father, who thought his son had died. With his help, the boys tracked down Simon's and Piggy's families; Jack gave what was left of Piggy's specks to his auntie, who told them that Piggy's real name was "Alphie." Ralph had a hard time explaining Simon's death to his parents, so Jack helped by saying it was his fault. Of course Simon's parents were sad, but they were satisfied knowing that their son was with God now. Percival returned home and immediately remembered everything he had forgotten, right down to his phone number.

SamnEric also went back home and told their friends and family about their island adventure over and over again, each time vowing to never go against God or betray anyone ever again. Roger and Jack returned to private school with the rest of the choir of boys and taught the young ones that everyone has evil inside and life is full of temptation that tantalizes that evil. But as long as you remember who you are and follow God's rules he will forgive your sins. Years went by and the boys got older, but no matter how old they got they'd always keep in touch. Every once in a while the boys would get together and reminisce about their childhood and time on the island and remember what they learned their, and they would make sure that their fallen friends were never forgotten.

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Honestly, some of my classmate wrote far more interesting ones than mine, but my teach really liked it, and that's all that mattered.

Also, I fixed as many errors as I could.


End file.
